According to
A Dictionary of British Place Names, Welby means a "farmstead or village by a spring or stream", combining the
Old English "wella" for a stream, with
Old Scandinavian "by" for a "farmstead, village or settlement". Welby is recorded in the 1086
Domesday account as "Wellebi", within two
manors in the Threo
Hundred of
Kesteven. The first manor held 57 households, 7
villeins, 4 smallholders, 37
freemen, a priest, a church, a meadow of , and woodland of . In 1066
Queen Edith was
Lord of the Manor, this transferred to
William I in 1086, who also became
tenant in chief. The second
Domesday entry shows a manor with 3 villagers, 5 freemen and 4
ploughlands, with a meadow , and woodland of , with the lord in 1066 being Aethelstan, son of Godram. In 1086 the lordship was transferred to Ranulf, with Guy of Craon becoming tenant in chief. Welby's
Grade I listed
Anglican parish church is dedicated to St
Bartholomew the Apostle. The church originates from the 13th century and is mainly
Early English, but with a
Perpendicular clerestory and porch. In 1873 the north
aisle was extended and the
chancel rebuilt by
J. H. Hakewill, who matched the Early English style. Within the porch is a 14th-century stone tomb cover with relief depictions of a woman's head and shoulders, within a
quatrefoil recess, along with a shrouded baby. It was originally sited in the graveyard. It was designed by the Grantham architect Cornelius Sherborne. In 1885 ''
Kelly's Directory reported a Wesleyan chapel, built in 1866, and a school and four almshouses founded in 1780 by William Welby; a further school for 70 pupils had been built in 1869. The main crops grown were wheat, barley, oats and turnips, within a parish area of . The 1881 population was 390. The lord of the manor and owner of the parish land was Sir William Earle Welby-Gregory DL, JP, of Denton Hall. Kellys
also noted two public houses, the Red Lion
and Waggon and Horses'', 12 farmers, 4
graziers, a butcher, shoemaker, shopkeeper,
carrier, coal dealer,
wheelwright, beer retailer,
harness maker and a
blacksmith. ==Community==